Expert claims schools woefully unprepared for the month ahead

“A s t on i sh in g incompetence” from education bodies and political leaders has left Scottish schools woefully unprepared for a return to online learning and could cause chaos for future grades, said a leading expert.

Professor Lindsay Pa t e r s o n , one of the c o u n t r y ’s pre-eminent voices on education, said the Scottish Government and its agencies had failed to use nine months since the first coronavirus lockdown to make proper contingency plans, despite repeated warnings.

Professor Paterson said he had seen “absolutely no evidence” of leaders using the time since children first returned to face- to- face learning to prepare improvements for blended or fully virtual classes.

The Edinburgh University expert accused Ms Sturgeon of having “no answer” as she was grilled by opposition leaders on extra resource preparation.

“The body that has failed most spectacularly here is the Scottish Qualifications Authority,” he said.

“They had no contingency planning for when the exams were cancelled so they’ve been forced into emergency alternative arrangements.

“But these alternative arrangements assume pupils will be in school because they tell schools that the assignments children do need to be done in conditions as close as possible to normal exams.

“They have no plan for how to produce these assessments for children who are working at home.

“It is absolutely astonishing that they are so incompetent as to have produced nothing whatsoever given all the shenanigans of last spring, the scandal of the algorithm in August, and the repeated warnings that this situation could arise again.”

Teachers raised concerns about online materials last month, after the Scottish Government initially set a January 18 reopening date, which Professor Paterson said is evidence of education agencies failing to prepare.

He said the attainment gap between the richest and poorest pupils has grown during the pandemic and will now be exacerbated by an ill-prepared return to online learning.

Meanwhile, teaching unions welcomed yesterday’s announcement.

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT union, said: “This will provide a measure of relief to many highly anxious teachers, parents, pupils and school staff.

“It will now be vital that in reviewing the closure of schools on January 18 the minister continues to be guided by the medical and scientific evidence on the impact of the new variant, with the priority the safety, health and welfare of young people and school staff.”

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan, said: “Whilst the education system is better prepared to deliver education remotely than during the first lockdown, challenges remain and we need to ensure that all pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can access learning on an equitable basis.”

T he National Parent Forum of Scotland said it is important parents know they can ask schools for help.

Union figure Larry Flanagan also sees “challenges”.